Cleaner



Aug. 20, 1946. T.-

.WORTH CLEANER Filed July 12, 1943 Inf/672150? Tkomms C. %rz% PatentedAug 20, 1943 UNITED STATE CLEANER, I Thomas C. Worth, Market Harborough,England Application July 12, 1943, Serial'No. 494,295

This invention relates to an air or gas cleaner, and it has for oneobject to provide means for separating dust, dirt or other solid matterfrom a moving stream or column of air or gas.

It has for another object to provide a means for carrying out in asingle apparatus two stages of separation, in one of which the heavieror larger particles are removed. and in the other of which the smalleror lighter particles are removed.

Another object is to provide in asingle, compact apparatus, means foraccomplishing dry separation and fluid separation in a single,continuous process. I

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the type indicated formedof a plurality of readily separable parts to permit effective andconvenient cleaning.

Other objects will appear from time totime throughout the specificationand claims.

This invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is-avertical of the device; I

Figure 2 is a transverse section *taken'at-line section through one form2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an' elevational detail showing one form of a separableattaching means.

Like parts are indicated bylike characters throughout the specificationand the drawing.

In the particular form here shown, the device comprises a housing whichis, in efiect, formed by three main and preferably separable parts.There is thu an upper housing section I, which 2 Claims. (Cl. 183 -8)may be cylindrical in cross'section, which is closed by a member 2 whichmay be permanently secured in place or, if desired, may be removable.The member I is provided with a'perforation or opening 3 in which anoutlet connection member 4is positioned. 1

Within the housing I a massof filter material 5 is positioned. terial inplace by an upper member'which may comprise an annular portion 6 and aplurality of branches I which may meet at the center, as at 8. Ingeneral, the member formed by these parts is shaped to provide manyopenings, but is of such size and shape, and the openingsare of suchsize and shape, as to prevent the filter material from being carriedaway in the moving stream of air or gas.

The filter mass is supported and positioned It is convenient to holdthis mafrom below by a member which may comprise an 2 i desired, may beremovably secured to the hous ing. 7

An intermediate housing section -I2 is; in effect, cuplike. It comprisesa generally cylindrical portion which fits, as at I3, about the lowerportion I4 of the housing section I. The housing-section I may beprovided with an outwardly extending bead orflange I5, against which theupper edge I6 o1v the housingsection I2 abuts whenthe parts areassembled together. ()ne convenient means ,for securing the two housingsections together comprises 'bayonet locks which are formed by slots I"!in the section I2 which embrace pins I8 in the section I. Otherattaching mean could, ofrcoursa be substituted forthese.

' Thef'housing section I2 is provided with a bottom portion I9which'ispreierablydntegralwith the side portion I2 andwhich is also preferablyintegral with a central tubular inlet member 20. Preferably the cupportion formed by the members I2, I9 and 20 is 'rounded,;as at 2|; and22. The upwardly extending inlet member 20 may be provided with a flangeor bead 23. Positioned within the portion I2 ;andgengaging the innerface of the member 20 is a bafile which is annular inplant and ispreferably'curved or concave and upwardly facing. Its inner edgelies'against and is preferably secured tojthe upper and of the member20, as at 25, and it maybe provided with openingsZB adjacentwhichyare'positioned out-' 20 by arms 3| which are secured to that memAs shown, the, outeredge ber and to the baflle, 32 of the baffle 30projects into the area bounded by the baffle 24, and the lower edge 32of the baflie 30 is belowthe upper edges of the baffle 24 and'below theupper edge of the member 20.

Thecup member ordinarily contains a quantity 7 of oil or other liquidand preferably that liquid stands at a level somewhat above the loweredge 32 of the bafile 36, although considerable variationin'the oillevel may occur without destroyingp the effectiveness of thedevice;

A third housing section is positioned removably belowthe section I2 andmay be held in place by a spring bail 33 which is preferably providedwith a roller or other anti-friction device 34,.the

bail being pivoted in ears '35 which are integral with a band 36,whichis itself, positioned about and secured to the housing section I 2.The lower section includes a shell or. housingiportion 31 which atitsupper edge abuts-against a portion of the member I2,preferably thebottom portion i9, and it is provided with a plurality of openings 38which are formed by outwardly projecting tongues 39. The effect of thisconstructionis to ive enteringifair a whirling motionr One or more slotsor openings 40 are formed in the shell 31 and adjacent each of thesethere is preferably formed an outwardly projecting lip or vane 4i whichtends to scoop on solid matter which comes 7 into contact with the innersurface of the mem;

This solid-1c,

ber 31 or approaches that'surface. matter is directed to the openings50' and passes through them into a space which is defined partly .by'the member 31 and partly by a shell 42. This V shell at its upper edge43 is in sealing contact with a flange or collar 44 which is secured tothe shell 31, as at 45, and the space enclosed between the members 37.and 42 thus forms a receptacle into which solid matter deposited fromspirit of the invention, and my showing .is, therefore, to be takenas,'in a sense, diagrammati In particular, the structural details may bewidely varied. The means for holding the .parts separably together mightbe of almost any type.

The relative proportions of the baffles within the oil bath portion l2might be Widely varied. The

' number of openings inithe baffle 24 and their particular shape'anddisposition might be widely varied. Similarly, the number of openings inthe member 37 andtheir positioning in that member might be widelyvaried.

The use and operation ofthis invention are asfollows: Y

#The invention will ordinarily be associated with an internal combustionengine as a means 40 for cleaning the air which passesto the engine,although it. maybe used in many'other associations in which it 'is'necessar or desirable to remove 'solidjmatter from a moving column of,air or gas, If it, be assumed that the cleaner is .to be used inconnection with an engine, the

member 4 will be connected with the carburetor or will otherwise beconnected to carry clean air to the point of u'se. As the enginecommences to operate; suction occurs and air is 'drawn 'ing space incommunication with said dust scoops,

through the cleanenentering the openings 38 andbeing given a whirlingaction. The air thus circulates or -whirls about the space withinthechamber 3i, and the heavier matter tends to move outwardly and henceapproach. or come in contact with the inner surface of the mem ber 31.Such heavier matter passes through the opening or openings 40 and may beassisted in this" movement by the scooping action of the members El ifthey are present. Once solid mat- 6f).

ter has passed through the wall of the shell 31, it is entrapped andremains within the space definedby that member and the member lZ.

The relatively cleaner air now moves upwardly through the member iu andis directed 'downwardly by the member 39 toward the oil or other liquidwhich is present. The air then moves up- 1 wardly again beyondthe'lower' edge 32. of the baffle 36' to and through thef lter mass 5..The

liquidwithin thecup portion i2 is to agreater 7 orless' degree carriedupwardly by the passage of the air or gas, and'toa greater or lessdegree saturates the filter mass, so that the relatively small passagesthrough which theair or gas must move'in passing through the filter massare lined 4 with cleaning liquid, and the solid matter is furtherentrapped in this liquid and removed from the column of gas. flowdownwardl again into the cup and carry with it this solid matter. V V

The cleaned air finally emerges from the filter mass and passesoutwardly throughthe connection 4 to the point of use.

' -'I claim:

. 1. Inan' air cleaner built up from vertically aligned nested cups, abottom cup adapted to receive'dust, a dry cleaner cup closing the top 0air discharge duct extending upwardly'above the level of the liquid insaid cup and adapted'to serve as an air discharge outlet for the airentering the dry cleaner cup, an arcuate mushroom bafile overlying theupper end of, said axial duct, adapted to direct air downwardly towardthe liquid in said liquid containing cup, an upwardly convex;circumferential baffle provided, at its bottom, with baffled openingsand aligned-with the path of flow of air from said mushroom baifie,extending below the liquid level in said liquid containing cup andhaving an outer discharge edge spaced radially outwardly from the outeredge of the mushroom baille, and a container positioned above andclosing the top of the liquid containing c'up,;having a cleaned airdischarge duct extending therefrom and havingan air per-' viousfiltermass therein in the line of delivery of air from said liquid containingcup, I l

2. In an air cleaner, a centrifugal separator container having agenerally cylindrical upper portion and amp-shaped lower portion,said;up-

per. portion having outwardly extending inlet scoops spacedcircumferentially thereaboutjand adapted to impart to the inflowing aira path:-

conformingv enerally tothe inner face of said upper portion, said lowerportion having inward-f ly extending dust scoops, extending into thepath 1 of flow of the air to be cleaned, a dust receiving housingsurrounding the. lower portion of the separator container and defining adust-receivof liquidin said container, an inverted arcuatemushroomshaped baille adapted to direct the air which flows upwardly throughsaid discharge duct downwardly toward and against the liquid in saidcontainer, an additional cleaning housing closing the top of said liquidcontainer, an air pervious filter mass positionedtherein, and anadditional upwardly convex bafile positioned in; said liquid containerand surrounding said air discharge duct, said additional bafiiehaving,in its bottom,

bafiiedopenings' and being of substantially greater diameter than thediameter of said inverted baf fle, whereby it is adapted to directairupwardly toward the bottom of said air pervious. filter mass, andmeans for removably securing said containers in nested relationship.

THOMAS c. WORTH; I

The liquid itself tends to

